Holding means for door operating levers



Jan. 13, 1953 s. B. HASELTINE HOLDING MEANS FOR DOOR OPERATING LEVERS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 12, 1947 W J M m 2 m w a m i m a J I a u. H W q w W 3 M .3 m m U m a M T Q o MT... Mu m m n w (2.

m r o m n u Jan. 13, 1953 s. B. HASELTINE 2,625,421

HOLDING MEANS FOR DOOR OPERATING LEVERS Fild Dec. 12, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet 2 S. B. HASELTINE HOLDING MEANS FOR DOOR OPERATING LEVERS Jim. 13, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 12, 1947 ,Siacy Patented Jan. 13, 1953 HOLDING MEANS FOR DOOR OPERATING LEVERS Stacy B. Haseltine, La Grange, Ill., assignorto W. H. Miner, Inc., Chicago, 111., :a corporation of Delaware Application December 12, 1947, Serial No.791,221

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in holding means for door operating levers of rotary actuating bars for doors, and more particularly for doors of the sliding type.

One object of the invention is to provide in a door operating means comprising a, rotary bar for actuating means for forcing a sliding door into and out of the door opening, wherein the bar is rotatable through an angle of 180 degrees in 'forcing the door into or out of the door opening, and the bar is actuated by a lever for rotating the same, pivoted to the bar in such a manner that it may be dropped to pendant position, holding means engageable by the lever in its pendant position for locking. the bar against rotation both in door opening and closing direc- 'tions.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide operating means for forcing a sliding door supported by a rotary crank arm, into and 'out of the door opening of a container, comprising a rotary operating bar rotatable in one direction through an angle of 180 degreesfor actuating the crank arm to swing the same from a position at right angles to the plane of the container wall to a position parallel to the same to force the door into the door opening, and rotatable in a reverse direction through said angle of 180 degrees for actuating the crank arm to swing the same from parallel relation with respect to the container wall to the position at right angles thereto to move the door out of the door opening into spaced relation to the container wall, and an operating lever for rotating the bar, pivotally connected to the same in such a manner that it may be dropped to pendant position both when the door has been moved into the door opening to closed position, "and out of the door opening with the 'surporting crank arm disposed at right angles .to the container wall, wherein means is provided engageable by said operating lever in both of said pendant positions for holding the same and the operating bar against rotation.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

:In the accompanying drawings forming a part :ofthis specification, Figure 1 is a broken elevational view of one of the side walls of a railway refrigerator car provided with a sliding door for closing the door opening, illustrating my improved holding means for the rotary operating bar in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1,, on an enlarged scale, showingin zfullrlines the position occupied'by the opermoved out of the door opening and the handle lever dropped to its locked pendant position. Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line 55 of Figure 3. Figure 6 is a view, similar to Figure 3, illustrating another embodiment of the invention. Figure? is a horizontal sectional View, corresponding substantially to the line 1-1 of Figure 6. Figure 8 is a view simliar to Figure '7, showing the operating bar rotated through an arc of degrees. Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 3, showing still another embodiment of the invention. Figure 10 is a horizontal sectional view, corresponding substantially to the line lill-il of Figure '9. Figure 11 is a view, similar to Figure 10, showing the operating bar rotated through an are 0 180 degrees.

In said drawings, it! indicates the side wall of a, car, which is provided with the usual door opening H, closed by a sliding door [2 of wellknown design. The door I2 is slidable along top and bottom tracks l3 and It, being supported by top and bottom, front and rear sets of swinging crank arms l-5-l-5.-and Iii-4 6 carried by the tracks. The crank arms 15-45 and l$l-6 are of the usual :design and are connected to the door and tracks in a well-known manner, :being swingingly supported at their inner ends on the door I Z by bearing brackets Hl1 and til-48 at the front and rear ends of the door, and swingingly connected at their outer ends to the top and bottom track l3 and Hi, the bottom crank arm's having their outer ends journaled in carriers l-9-'l9 of well-known design, 'slidable on the lower track, and the top crank arms having their outer ends journaled in rollers 20-46), which are guided in the upper track It, which is of channel-shaped cross section. At the forward end, the door 12 is-provided with projecting cam lugs 2 |-2-l, which are engageable within keepers 22-22 for camming the forward end of thedoor closed. The rear end of the door is movable inwardly ;and outwardly of the door opening through the operation of manually actuated means for positively swinging "the rear crank arms 1 6-4 6. The operating means illustrated-is well-known in this art, being similar to that employed at the rear end of the door of Patent No. 2,160,844 granted to William M. Dwyer, June 6, 1939. This operating means includes a rotary bar A journaled at its upper and lower ends in the top and bottom bearing brackets I B|8, and having keeper engaging cam members 23-23 at its extremities engageable with kee ers 24-424 to force the rear end of the door tightly closed or to pry the same open, and interengaging gears, not shown, on the operating bar A and crank arms i6-i6, which have their teeth interrupted to produce swinging movement of each crank arm through an angle of approximately 90 degrees by rotation of the operating bar A.

Referring first to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to inclusive, my improvements comprise broadly an actuating lever B, which is hinged or pivoted to the bar A to be dropped to pendant position, and a latch plate C with which the lever B may be interlocked to hold the bar A against rotation.

The actuating lever B is in the form of an elongated bar having a hand grip portion 25 at its outer end and a forked head portion 23 at its inner end. The forked head portion 26 of the lever is extended laterally at right angles to the length of the same, as indicated at 21. The lever B is pivotally connected to the bar A for swinging movement in a vertical plane parallel to the bar by means of a pin 28 in the form of a rivet, extending through the arms of the forked lateral extension of the head 26 of the lever and through the bar. The lateral extension 21 of the head 26 of the lever is widened at a point inwardly beyond the pivotal connection of the same with the bar A to provide a depending looking web or flange 29, as seen in Figures 1 and 3, which is engageable with the latch plate C, as hereinafter described. At the inner end of the flange 29, as seen in Figures 1 and 3, the head portion 26 of the lever is provided with flanges 3B36 projecting from opposite sides thereof, which are parallel to the length of the lever and in substantial align- I ment with the inner longitudinal edge of the same. The flange 30 at the front of the lever B, as seen in Figures 1 and 3, is transversely perforated, as shown, to provide a seal receiving opening 31. The outer edge of the head end of the lever B is preferably provided with oppositely projecting lengthwise extending, reenforcing ribs 32-32.

The latch plate C is in the form of a castin secured to the outer side of the door [2 in back of the bar A and immediately below the pivotal connection of the lever B with the bar A. The

casting C comprises a substantially rectangular securing plate section 33, which is fixed to the door l2 by rivets 343 i, or similar securing elements, and laterally spaced keeper pocket members 35-35 on the outer side of the plate section between which the bar A extends. As shown in Figure 5, each pocket member 35 is defined by a horizontal bottom wall 36 extending from the plate section 33, a vertical outer wall 3?, which is outwardly inclined at its upper end, as indicated at 38, and the upper portion of the plate section 33 opposed to the wall 31. Each pocket member 35 is reenforced by a vertically extending web 39 at the corresponding vertical edge of the plate section 33, the web 39 of the left hand pocket member, as seen in Figures 1, 2, and 3, being transversely perforated to provide a seal receiving opening 40 with which the opening 31 of the flange 30 of the lever B is adapted to register when the latter is dropped to the pendant position shown in Figures 1 and 3.

In the pendant position of the lever B, as shown in Figures 1, 3, and 5, the locking flange 29 thereof is seated in the left hand pocket member of the latch plate C and effectively locks the bar A against rotation. In this connection it is pointed out that the lever B is also looked against rotation by dropping the same to pendant position after the bar has been rotated through an angle of degrees, from the position shown in Figure 3 to that shown in Figure 4, by the web or flange 29 being seated in the right hand pocket member 35 on the plate C.

The door i2 when closed, as shown in Figure 1, is locked in that condition by the pendant lever B, the flange or looking web 29 thereof being seated in the left hand pocket 35 of the latch plate C to hold the bar A against rotation. In addition to locking the parts in this position, the usual car seal, not shown, is applied through the seal receiving openings 3! and 4B of the lever B and the latch plate C. In the closed position of the door, the supporting crank arms I5l5 and iB-IB are substantially parallel to the plane of the car wall and of the door [2.

To open the door, the car seal is removed and the lever B swung upwardly from its full line pendant position shown in Figure l to the horizontal position shown in full lines in Figure 2 and in dotted lines in Figure 1, thus unlocking the lever from the latch plate C. The lever B is then swung away from the door through an arc of 180 degrees to the dotted line position shown in Figure 2, thereby rotating the bar A through an angle of 180 degrees and swinging the crank arms i6i6 to position at right angles to the wall of the car and the door 12. The lever B is then swung to the pendant position shown in Figure 4, locking the parts against rotation by engagement of the flange or web 29 of the lever within the pocket 35 at the right hand side of the latch plate C. With the parts thus locked, the crank arms iii-i6 are rigidly held in their right angular position, holding the door spaced from the car wall to allow the same to be slid away from the door opening without interference by being dragged along the wall of the car.

To move the door into the door opening to closed position, the lever B is first raised from the position shown in Figure 4 to the dotted line position shown in Figure 2, thereby disengaging the same from the latch plate and freeing the bar A for rotation by swinging movement of the lever to the full line position shown in Figure 2 and the dotted line position shown in Figure 1. After the door has been forced into the door opening by swinging movement of the crank arms Hii 6, the lever B is swung downwardly or dropped to the pendant position shown in Figure 5, thereby engaging the locking flange 23 of the lever within the left hand pocket 35 of the latch plate C to lock the bar A and the arms iii-16 against rotation.

Referring next to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 6, '7, and 8, the construction is similar to that shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, with the exception that the locking flange of the actuating handle lever for the rotary bar of the door actuating means is of triangular formation, and the socket members of the latch plate are modified to cooperate therewith. In Figures 6, 7, and 8, the door, which corresponds to the door [2 hereinbefore referred to, is indicated by H2. The door H2 carries the rotary operating bar D, which corresponds to the bar A of Figures 1 to 4 inclusive. The actuating lever E has a forked head portion I26, which is pivoted to the bar to swing from horizontal to pendant position. The head portion I25 of the lever has a substantially triangular locking flange I29, which presents a downwardly and inwardly inclined edge, as shown in Figure 6.

A latch plate F is fixed to the door 12 in back of the operating bar D some distance below the pivotal connection of the lever E with the bar. This plate has pockets 135-435 at opposite sides of the bar similar to the pockets 35-35 of the latch plate (3' hereinbefore described, with the exception that the bottom wall I39 of each pocket is inclined to correspond with the inclination of the inclined edge of the locking flange l29 of the lever E, each pocket being thus, in effect, diagonally disposed.

The lever E and the latch plate F are also respectively provided with cooperating flange and web members I30 and I39, which are perforated to receive the usual car seal.

Referring next to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 9, 10, and 11, the construction is similar to that shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive with the exception that the inner end portion of the actuating lever is arranged for direct engagement within the pockets of the latch plate, instead of being provided with a looking flange for this purpose.

In Figures 9, 10, and 11, the door, which corresponds to the door 12 of Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, is indicated by 212. This door carries the rotary operating bar G, which corresponds to the bar A. The actuating lever, which is indicated by H, has a right angular forked head portion 225, which is pivoted to the bar G to permit the lever to swing from horizontal to pendant position. The arm of the lever is substantially channelshaped in cross section, as shown most clearly in Figures and 11, and the inner end portion of said arm, that is, the portion thereof adjacent the head 226, is engageable with the latch plate, which is indicated by J, to lock the lever H and the bar G against rotation.

The latch plate J is fixed to the door H2 in back of the operating bar G some distance below the pivotal connection of the lever H with the bar G. Laterally ofiset portions 23l-23I are provided at opposite sides of the plate J, which, together with vertical side walls 232-232 of the plate and the opposed face portions of the door 212, define pockets 235-235 within which the channel-shaped inner end portion of the lever H is engageable. In locking the lever H to the latch plate J, the inner end portion of the lever adjacent the head 226 is engaged in back of the laterally ofiset portions 231-231 of the plate, these portions functioning as retaining lugs. The plate J is cut out between the laterally ofiset portions 231-23l, as indicated at 233, to accommodate the bar G.

The lever H and the latch plate J are also provided with cooperating flange and web members: 230 and 240, which are perforated to receive the usual car seal.

I claim:

1. In a door operating mechanism, the combination with a vertically disposed rotary operating bar mounted on the door; of means actuated by rotation of said bar in reverse directions for moving said door into and out of the door opening to respectively close and open the same; an operating lever for rotating said bar, said lever being pivoted at its inner end to said bar for swinging movement from operative horizontal position to pendant vertical position, said lever having aportion at its inner end extending at right angles to the length of said lever; a latch plate fixed to said door; and an upwardly opening keeper pocket on said latch plate within which said right angular portion of said lever is engageable in the pendant position of said lever to lock said bar against rotation.

2. In a door operating mechanism, the combination with a vertically disposed rotary operating bar mounted on the door; of means actuated by rotation of said bar for moving said door into and out of the'door opening; an operating lever having a right angular arm at its inner end pivotally connecting the lever to the bar for swinging movement in a vertical plane, from horizontal position to pendant vertical position; a latch plate fixed to said door; an upwardly opening keeper pocket on said latch plate; and a keeper engaging flange on said right angular arm engageable within said pocket when said lever is dropped to its pendant position, to lock said bar against rotation.

3. In a door operating mechanism, the combination with a vertically disposed rotary operating bar mounted on the door; of means actuated by rotation of said bar for moving said door into and out of the door opening; an operating lever having a right angular extension at its inner end by which the lever is pivotally connected to said bar to swing in a vertical plane from horizontal position to pendant vertical position; a latch plate fixed to said door; an upwardly and laterally outwardly opening keeper pocket on said lach plate; and a diagonal locking flange on said lever extending from said extension of the lever to the arm proper of the same, said flange being engageable within said upwardly and laterally outwardly opening pocket to lock said bar against rotation when the lever is dropped to pendant position.

STACY B. HASELTINE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 425,323 Hornal Apr. 8, 1890 997,805 Hackney July 11, 1911 1,187,910 Haseltine June 20, 1916 2,143,226 Lonergan Jan. 10, 1939 2,150,271 Dwyer Mar. 14, 1939 2,228,711 Steuber Jan. 14, 1941 2,452,109 Dath Oct. 26, 1948 2,473,679 Dath June 21, 1949 

